PAWTUCKET, R.I. — A man who was shot by Pawtucket police on Sunday was holding what appears to be a “plastic replica of a rifle,” not a real firearm, police said Monday.
Colonel Tina Goncalves, the Pawtucket police chief, confirmed that an “initial examination of the suspect’s firearm appears to be a plastic replica of a rifle.”
The man who was shot, Sebastian Yidana, has not yet been charged in Sunday’s incident. Goncalves said the investigation is still ongoing and “charges are pending.”
Goncalves declined to name the officer who shot Yidana. The officer has been on the force for four years and is on administrative leave as an investigation is launched.
The shooting happened on Sunday morning near the intersection of Broad Street and Goff Avenue, police said, after reports came in that a man had a gun and was pointing it at himself and others.
A Pawtucket police officer “engaged” the suspect and fired shots, hitting Yidana in the shoulder, police said. He was taken to the hospital and his injuries were minor, Goncalves said.
Yidana had a bench warrant out for failing to appear in court in February on simple assault, disorderly conduct and vandalism charges, according to court records.
It was not immediately clear on Monday if Yidana has a lawyer.
In Rhode Island, police shootings are jointly investigated by the local agency that fired the shots, R.I. State Police and the Attorney General’s office, to determine if the officer was justified in firing his weapon.
Tim Rondeau, a spokesperson for Attorney General Peter Neronha, confirmed the agency is involved but declined to comment further.
Over the last 20 years, Pawtucket police officers have fatally shot seven people and wounded one other person. Each incident was deemed justified by a grand jury.
The city and its insurer paid $1.3 million in settlement to the family of a man with a mental illness who was shot to death by police in 2008, after they found him at his home holding a sword. Jason Swift, 30, got into an altercation with police that eventually led to police shooting and killing him.
The city did not admit wrongdoing. The lawyer for the family told The Providence Journal at the time that the settlement with Swift’s family was considered one of the highest for a civil rights lawsuit.
This developing story has been updated with information about the Pawtucket Police Department.
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